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| Sri Lanka poll victory challenged | Sri Lanka poll victory challenged |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been declared the winner of Sri Lanka's presidential poll, but the outcome was immediately rejected by his challenger. | President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been declared the winner of Sri Lanka's presidential poll, but the outcome was immediately rejected by his challenger. |
| Gen Sarath Fonseka promised a legal challenge to the outcome of the ballot, the first since Tamil Tiger rebels were defeated after 25 years of civil war. | Gen Sarath Fonseka promised a legal challenge to the outcome of the ballot, the first since Tamil Tiger rebels were defeated after 25 years of civil war. |
| The Elections Commission declared Mr Rajapaksa the victor with 57.8% of votes cast, to 40% for his rival. | The Elections Commission declared Mr Rajapaksa the victor with 57.8% of votes cast, to 40% for his rival. |
| Troops earlier surrounded the Colombo hotel where Gen Fonseka is staying. | Troops earlier surrounded the Colombo hotel where Gen Fonseka is staying. |
| A government spokesman told the BBC they did not intend to hold Gen Fonseka but were looking for army deserters. | A government spokesman told the BBC they did not intend to hold Gen Fonseka but were looking for army deserters. |
| A military spokesman said the troops' deployment was a "protective measure". | A military spokesman said the troops' deployment was a "protective measure". |
| AT THE SCENE Anbarasan Ethirajan, BBC News, Colombo Troops remain outside the hotel where Gen Fonseka is staying. | AT THE SCENE Anbarasan Ethirajan, BBC News, Colombo Troops remain outside the hotel where Gen Fonseka is staying. |
| A short while ago, Gen Fonseka told a press conference he wanted the elections annulled following widespread irregularities in the run-up. | A short while ago, Gen Fonseka told a press conference he wanted the elections annulled following widespread irregularities in the run-up. |
| He has written to the Elections Commission listing his complaints and the reasons why he believes the result should be cancelled. He thinks he could have won had it not been for the government's misuse of state media. | He has written to the Elections Commission listing his complaints and the reasons why he believes the result should be cancelled. He thinks he could have won had it not been for the government's misuse of state media. |
| He was also critical of the government's withdrawal of some of his security detail, saying there had been plans to assassinate him if he left the building. He said that is why he wanted to go abroad for a short while. | He was also critical of the government's withdrawal of some of his security detail, saying there had been plans to assassinate him if he left the building. He said that is why he wanted to go abroad for a short while. |
| The government said there were no restrictions on him leaving the hotel. | The government said there were no restrictions on him leaving the hotel. |
| The BBC's Anbarasan Ethirajan, who is in the same hotel as Gen Fonseka and other opposition leaders, says the troops' presence has created a very tense atmosphere. | The BBC's Anbarasan Ethirajan, who is in the same hotel as Gen Fonseka and other opposition leaders, says the troops' presence has created a very tense atmosphere. |
| An opposition spokesman, Rauf Hakeem, said opposition members had appealed to the government over what he said were "high-handed tactics" intended to intimidate them. | An opposition spokesman, Rauf Hakeem, said opposition members had appealed to the government over what he said were "high-handed tactics" intended to intimidate them. |
| He told reporters there were no deserters inside the hotel. | He told reporters there were no deserters inside the hotel. |
| Gen Fonseka has alleged vote-rigging and has lodged several objections with Sri Lanka's electoral commission. | Gen Fonseka has alleged vote-rigging and has lodged several objections with Sri Lanka's electoral commission. |
| He has also accused the government of wanting to kill him, the BBC's Charles Haviland in Colombo says. | He has also accused the government of wanting to kill him, the BBC's Charles Haviland in Colombo says. |
| One of the reasons behind Gen Fonseka's challenge to the election outcome may be that he fears for his own safety in Sri Lanka now he has lost, our correspondent says. | |
| Since he left the army the higher ranks have very much rallied behind Mr Rajapaksa, our correspondent adds. Gen Fonseka also does not have his own party base, having stood for election backed by a disparate group of opposition parties. | |
| In pictures: President wins election | |
| Independent election observers have been perturbed by two main elements, our correspondent says, one of which is the amount of violence in the run-up to the election - with most complaints about the perpetration of violence laid at the door of the president's side. | |
| The other is what monitors say is the misuse of public resources and state media, particularly state-run TV, which provided blanket coverage of the incumbent president's campaign. | The other is what monitors say is the misuse of public resources and state media, particularly state-run TV, which provided blanket coverage of the incumbent president's campaign. |
| Some 70% of Sri Lanka's 14 million-strong electorate turned out to vote. However, turnout in the Tamil areas in the north-east, where the fiercest fighting occurred during the conflict, was less than 30%. | Some 70% of Sri Lanka's 14 million-strong electorate turned out to vote. However, turnout in the Tamil areas in the north-east, where the fiercest fighting occurred during the conflict, was less than 30%. |
| Lucien Rajakarunanayake, a spokesman for Mr Rajapaksa, told the Associated Press news agency that the president had "won a historic and resounding victory in the first free and fair elections held throughout the country since the defeat of terrorism". | Lucien Rajakarunanayake, a spokesman for Mr Rajapaksa, told the Associated Press news agency that the president had "won a historic and resounding victory in the first free and fair elections held throughout the country since the defeat of terrorism". |
| Supporters of Mr Rajapaksa celebrated in the streets of Colombo, waving Sri Lankan flags and setting off fireworks. | Supporters of Mr Rajapaksa celebrated in the streets of Colombo, waving Sri Lankan flags and setting off fireworks. |
| Bitter fight | Bitter fight |
| After a violent and acrimonious campaign, during which four people died and hundreds were wounded, Tuesday's election was largely peaceful. | After a violent and acrimonious campaign, during which four people died and hundreds were wounded, Tuesday's election was largely peaceful. |
| In pictures: Sri Lanka votes Profile: Mahinda Rajapaksa Profile: Gen Sarath Fonseka | In pictures: Sri Lanka votes Profile: Mahinda Rajapaksa Profile: Gen Sarath Fonseka |
| But there were serious exceptions, especially in the Tamil-populated north. | But there were serious exceptions, especially in the Tamil-populated north. |
| In the city of Jaffna, the private Centre for Monitoring Election Violence said there were at least six explosions before and just after voting began. | In the city of Jaffna, the private Centre for Monitoring Election Violence said there were at least six explosions before and just after voting began. |
| Later there were two blasts in Vavuniya, the town near the huge camps for people displaced by the war. The organisation said it feared this was a systematic attempt to scare people away from voting. | Later there were two blasts in Vavuniya, the town near the huge camps for people displaced by the war. The organisation said it feared this was a systematic attempt to scare people away from voting. |
| There were also grenade attacks in the Sinhala-dominated centre and south. | There were also grenade attacks in the Sinhala-dominated centre and south. |
| It later turned out that Gen Fonseka had not been able to vote because his name was not on the register. | It later turned out that Gen Fonseka had not been able to vote because his name was not on the register. |
| The two men were closely associated with the defeat of the Tamil Tigers last May but fell out soon afterwards. Gen Fonseka quit the military, complaining that he had been sidelined after the war. | The two men were closely associated with the defeat of the Tamil Tigers last May but fell out soon afterwards. Gen Fonseka quit the military, complaining that he had been sidelined after the war. |
| The president's side accuses the general of courting separatists. The general has accused the president of plotting vote-rigging and violence, something his rival denies. | The president's side accuses the general of courting separatists. The general has accused the president of plotting vote-rigging and violence, something his rival denies. |
| Both main candidates have promised voters costly subsidies and public sector pay rises. | Both main candidates have promised voters costly subsidies and public sector pay rises. |
| However, economists say this will make it hard for the country to meet cost-cutting obligations imposed under the terms of a $2.6bn (£1.6bn) International Monetary Fund loan. | However, economists say this will make it hard for the country to meet cost-cutting obligations imposed under the terms of a $2.6bn (£1.6bn) International Monetary Fund loan. |
| Are you in Sri Lanka? What's your reaction to the reported election result? Send us your comments using the form below. | Are you in Sri Lanka? What's your reaction to the reported election result? Send us your comments using the form below. |
| A selection of your comments may be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below. | A selection of your comments may be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below. |
| The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions | The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions |